John 21

John 21:1-25

The Gospel According to John John 21:1-25 John 21:1-25 Quite evidently this chapter is an appendix to the Gospel according to John, a postscript, that is, something that he wrote after the system of his Gospel was completed. That system comes to conclusion at the twenty-ninth verse of the previous chapter (John 20:29). Then followed the paragraph in which he tells why he had done his work, and in which he incidentally revealed how he had done his work: “Many other signs did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in His name.”

Then, how long after none can say, he added an appendix, which we have in this twenty-first chapter.

It is well to recognize at once that this appendix was not written to prove the resurrection. The proofs of the resurrection had already been given. This postscript was written rather to reveal the Person of the risen Jesus in certain ways and certain applications. This is clearly revealed by the way in which John introduces the story. Indeed it strikes a deeper note than that of revealing his own purpose in writing it. That introduction shows that whatever we have in the chapter, is a revelation of Jesus, which Jesus Himself desired that group to have.

Notice carefully the wording: “After these things Jesus manifested Himself.” The voice of the verb is active, showing that it was a manifestation of intention and purpose in the mind of Jesus. The story is full of pictorial beauty. Let us imagine ourselves there, at that Sea of Galilee, with which these fishers were so wonderfully familiar; on the shores of which they lived for the prosecution of their old calling of fisher-folk. As we do so, notice how John tells the story. He says Jesus manifested Himself. The Greek word there means to shine forth.

That is, Jesus made Himself to shine forth upon them in certain ways. Whatever we have in the chapter, it is something which Jesus particularly intended that little group to see. He manifested Himself. And again the statement is made that, “He manifested on this wise.” Twice over the same word, “manifested,” shined forth, revealed. What? Himself.

That is the key to everything in the chapter. As we take our way through the chapter we see a little group. They are all named for us at the beginning. We have met some of them before in the story of the life of Jesus; Simon Peter, that is one of the first with whom we came into contact. Thomas, we have met him also. Nathanael, the guileless, so named by Jesus. James and John; we know them also.

Then two others, the nameless ones, the representatives of the great anonymous crowd in the Christian Church, which constitutes her real strength and backbone We remember them all as we go through the chapter, but we shall not see much of some of them. There is nothing else about James and Thomas and Nathanael, or the other two. Simon and John we shall see again. The value of the chapter, however, is not the revelation of Simon, or of John; it is the revelation of Jesus. He manifested Himself. He manifested Himself in two ways, first in relation to the group as representing the Church; and then in His relation to individuals as constituting the Church.

In His relation to the group, we see His relation to His Church, for the group was representative. They were not all there, even the twelve. Seven are referred to; five are named; and two unnamed. In any group of Christian people, the whole catholic Church is represented. That is the genius of Christianity, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Wherever there is a gathering of two or three, seven or more, the whole Church is there in potentiality, and as to underlying principles. Thus He manifested Himself. That revelation runs on until we reach verse fourteen. Then we see Him dealing with individuals in the group, while not separating them from the group. The individuals are Simon and John. Now take the first movement, to catch its atmosphere. Let us look at the group. What was their condition? They were restless. Behind them the tragedy of the Cross, by which all their hope had been blotted out. Yet now they knew He was alive.

He had already been manifested to them in the upper room. They knew He was alive, but they could not understand. During those forty days between the resurrection and ascension there had occurred the matchless wonder, almost weird, of His appearing and His disappearing. They never knew where they might see Him next. Had He not come through doors without opening? They were down by the sea with which they were so familiar.

They were restless, because uncertain. The tragedy had been transformed into triumph by His resurrection, but they did not understand. It was all so perplexing. They were restless, disturbed; nothing seemed settled.

Then it was that Simon, that man of action, said in effect, I cannot bear this; I must do something, I am going fishing; and they joined in and said, We are all coming too. By which they meant, We are all in the same condition. In other words, they sought relief in action from their restlessness.

It seems to me to be a small matter as to whether they were right in going or not. I will leave it. Personally I think they were wrong. He had told them to wait until they were endued with power from on high. Jesus, however, did not rebuke them. They went, restless, seeking relief in action, and they did not get their relief; rather they got a new form of discontent, because they were unsuccessful.

Now to that group of His own, so representative of Christian men and women all down the age, restless, not understanding things in the midst of which we are living, having great certainties in our hearts about Jesus, yet strangely perplexed; trying to find relief in action; and over and over again disappointed even there, how did He manifest Himself? First of all, without a single suggestion of rebuke, either for their going fishing, or for their restlessness or for anything else, He manifested Himself as entering into their immediate experience. All night fishing; no fish, a disappointment. Then, He was there, standing on the shore of the Sea. The little boat at that time was about a hundred yards; doing nothing, but drifting in, empty of fish. Then He said, “Children, have ye aught to eat?” “No” came the answer. Then His word, Fling your net “on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find.” It was John who first discovered Who He was. “It is the Lord.” Then Peter, who was stript for his fishing, when he heard that, flung his coat about him, “and cast himself into the sea” to get to the Lord.

Luke tells us in his fifth chapter how that once before He had helped them fishing. On that occasion they certainly had no business to have been fishing. He had called them to Himself, and they had left all to follow, and then they had drifted back to fishing boats. On that occasion He had not rebuked them. He used the boat for a season for a pulpit, and then had given them the harvest of the sea. It was then that Simon said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” What did he mean? It was as though he had said, Give me up, I have failed; I had no right to leave Thee, and come back to these nets.

Now again He had given them a draught of fishes. They were not called to take dead fish, but to catch men alive. That He had told them on that earlier occasion. Once more they had gone back. Yet He came to them, and in effect said, If you are going fishing, and you have a bad night, I can give you a good morning. “Thus He manifested Himself,” the risen Lord. He entered into their immediate experience of failure, of being beaten, of a new discontent that had not removed their restlessness. And there He revealed His power on that lower level of activity. If it was dead fish they were after, then He could help them there.

And then what? When they arrived they saw a charcoal fire, which unquestionably He had lit that morning on the shore. Do not read anything supernatural into that. It was perfectly natural. It was a fire, not of coals, but of charcoal. Such a fire lights slowly.

Very often one had to bend down over it, and blow it. Jesus did that; He lit a charcoal fire. That is how they saw Him. Moreover, there was fish laid upon it. The risen Lord had been preparing a breakfast. When they dare not ask Him Who He was, because by this time they knew, when they did not know quite what to say, He said, Come, and break your fast.

I can see the group sitting down on the shore, and looking at Him. What had He done? He made them sit down, and He took the place of a waiter. A waiter. Do not be afraid of this. We go to an hotel, and a man or a girl waits on us.

That is what Jesus did. He carried the bread round to them. He carried the fish to them. He waited on them till they were satisfied. The whole Church was represented in that group. He manifested Himself as entering into our immediate experiences, providing for our physical necessities, providing breakfast, and serving. When this first phase of the manifestation is considered in the light of the great enterprise of Jesus which was filling His own mind, as the subsequent conversation with Simon reveals, it becomes the more radiant and beautiful. The vastness of His human emprise did not divorce Him from association with the immediate necessities of His own. Are we baffled and beaten, restless by reason of the times in which we live; beaten in our daily callings in these strange and tumultuous hours, not knowing which way to turn? Thus He manifested Himself. His own purpose and enterprise is vast; but the vastness of it is not allowed to interfere with His interest in His own in the matter of their immediate necessity, and even in the supremely small matter as it seems to us, of physical hunger. Tired men after a night of vain toil, cold and hungry certainly, the risen Jesus will light the fire, and prepare the breakfast. Thus He manifested Himself.

And so we pass, and immediately see Him dealing with two of them, principally with one. Everything that follows is distinctly individual. Yet, the individual is seen, as Jesus deals with him, whether Simon or John, as related to the others, and to the whole of the Master’s enterprise.

The real value of personality is never found in personality, but in relationship. The value of a life is not within that life. The value of life is found in what it is in relation to other people, the near, and the far. It is arresting to observe the contrast between these two. Naturally they did not get on together. Supernaturally, yes; because when the supernatural envelopes them, each finds his need of the other. But temperamentally they were entirely different. Peter was the practical man of affairs, the active, earnest, busy man. Thank God for that man.

John was the contemplative man, who would always seem to be a little aloof, because he was dreaming and seeing visions. Such do not get on well together, until they discover that in the supernatural supremacy of things, one is a fool without the other. Presently we shall hear Simon say of John, “Lord, and what shall this man do?” or more literally, “And this man what?” Simon, the practical man of action, said about John in effect, What about this fellow, he is always dreaming, what about him? And yet when I turn over into the Acts of the Apostles, and the Holy Spirit has brought them into a new relationship in Jesus Christ, they are together, the poet and the practical man needing each other. If the practical man had no poet to dream, he would kill himself with his activity. And if the poet had no practical man at hand he would sigh himself away.

Now let us watch Him dealing with Simon, and we must look at Him first, the risen One. What is the position He assumes? Presently He said to Peter, “Feed My lambs . . . shepherd My sheep . . . feed My sheep.” “My lambs, My sheep, My sheep.” In these phrases the consciousness of Christ is revealed. If we go back to the tenth chapter of John, in the days of His public ministry, we find Him talking in Jerusalem to His own, and to all, and saying, “I am the Good Shepherd; the good Shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep.” “No man taketh it away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” The good Shepherd! The thinking of Jesus that morning on the shores of Tiberias was that of the Shepherd.

He was thinking of His lambs; of His sheep. That thinking is interpreted by a statement given by Matthew. In the end of the ninth chapter he tells us how Jesus saw humanity. “When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.” Now He was standing on the lake-side, and was looking out upon humanity the world over, and through all the running decades and centuries. Of them He said, Mine, My lambs. Mine, My sheep. From that standpoint He was dealing with Simon.

That possessive pronoun marks Sovereignty and Saviourhood.

Thus He was indicating to him what his work was to be, Simon’s work; one of the group, representing all. That work was to be directly related to the enterprise of Jesus as the Shepherd. “Feed My lambs,” “Shepherd My sheep.” “Feed My sheep.” Once more back to Matthew: “He was moved with compassion” because the sheep were distressed and scattered, having no shepherd. Now He told Simon that his work was to shepherd them. Shepherding the sheep is not always the sweet and soft pastoral avocation of going through flowery meadows, and beside still waters; sometimes it means leaving the fold, and going out on the mountains wild and bare, and grappling with the wolf, and allowing the wolf to bury his fangs in you in order to save the lamb.

The qualifications for the doing of the work are then revealed. He said, Simon, are you devoted to Me? The word our Lord used is far more than emotional. It describes complete devotion. Simon dared not climb to the height of the word used by his Lord. He honestly replied that he loved Him, using the purely emotional word. He asked him again, Are you devoted to Me? and again he dared not climb. He said, I love You. Then with infinite grace, the Lord came down to Simon’s word. Do you love Me? Simon did not like that. He did not like Jesus coming down to the lower word. But still he used it, “Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

The qualifications then for feeding lambs, and shepherding sheep is that of love of the Lord. But do not let us forget that the love He seeks, is the love of absolute devotion.

Having thus spoken in the terms of His emprise, our Lord gave Simon his personal programme. He told him that when he was young he had stretched out his own hands, and girded himself; that he had gone his own way. It was a portrait of young Simon, a revelation of the sort of boy, and youth, and man he had been until Jesus met him; self-willed, independent, and able to manage his own affairs. He was not rebuking him. He was describing what he used to be. Then He told him of the differences there would be in him.

When he was old, he would be a very different man; he would be neither self-centered nor self-satisfied. He would stretch out his hands, and another would gird him. Moreover they would take him where naturally he did not want to go. In other words, Jesus in infinite tenderness was saying to this man, that in contrast to what he used to be, the Cross would henceforth be the principle of his life. He also predicted that Simon would be true to that principle. At that point John inserts these words, “This He spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God,” thus emphasizing the meaning and value of Christ’s words.

After that comment of John, he takes up again the words of Jesus. Jesus said to him, “Follow Me,” or more literally, “Travel with Me.” In the actual conversation, of course, these words followed in direct connection with what He had said about the manner of Simon’s death. He had indicated his work, “Feed My lambs . . . shepherd My sheep . . . feed My sheep”; and revealed the one qualification necessary, that of absolute devotion to his Lord. One can almost imagine Simon saying ; I shall never be equal to it! Then the words of Jesus, full of tenderness, telling him that He knew the sort of man he was by nature; but that now all was changed. He would follow the programme to the end.

Then the command, “Travel with Me,” would remind Peter that his Lord had also gone to the Cross, but that His Cross had led to His resurrection. And so would it be with Peter, for Jesus had said in the upper room on that first day of resurrection, “As My Father hath sent Me … so send I you.”

Then followed a scene true to human nature and experience, and revealing the authority and method of the Lord. At once the weakness of Simon flames out. He wanted to manage somebody else. He said. What about this man? Quick and sharp, with a touch of acid, the Lord rebuked him, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?” In other words, Mind your own business.

Don’t spoil your own soul’s condition by fussing about another man. Then again, and in that connection, He said, “Travel with Me.” Travel with Me, and so carry out life to the Cross. Travel with Me, and so be delivered from the mistaken fussiness which attempts to interfere in the life of another. It was a mystic word and intentionally so. John tells us that men misunderstood it. Perhaps John did not understand.

The whole point of the reference to John was that our Lord deals with each of His own separately, and in ways which others cannot understand, and about which others have no right to ask questions. It is transparently significant, and of great comfort to all of us. Dr. Horton in his poem makes John say this: “He spoke of me-I do not understand it- A tender oracle of love divine. Which always murmurs through me, and I hand it Down to the generations for a sign; “He breathed a thought, that haply I should tarry Until He came; and at the welcome word I saw the winding pathway, dim and starry. In which I should accompany my Lord. “He said not that I should not die-nay, rather, He did His work by dying, so shall I; He meant not that He would return to gather His Church Elect before my time to die. “He meant-I know not, but I think I tarried Until He came, for He is very near; Already are the bride and Bridegroom married; Eternal life is now, and Heaven is here.”

That is very suggestive and full of beauty as to what the word to Peter might have meant to John.

Thus the risen Lord manifested Himself; as associated with us in the commonplaces of life, and incorporating all the commonplaces into the supreme emprise of His Shepherd heart.